After making a big splash online, a chubby-cheeked, sad-eyed cat named Fishtopher has found a new home.
“FISHTOPHER HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!” Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center in Blackwood, New Jersey, wrote Saturday in a celebratory Facebook post.
Fishtopher, a chunky tabby cat found as a stray and estimated to be about years years old, became a social media star this week after his adoption listing went viral.
The animal shelter described him as “very sad and depressed” but craving affection, noting that he would “only eat when he has company.” The accompanying photos showed Fishtopher crouched down with a pitiful-looking expression.
After Twitter user Molly Clarke tweeted screenshots of the listing, the cat rapidly became a social media star, with many new Fishtopher fanatics proclaiming their love for him.
His online popularity translated to real-world results. Hundreds of people expressed interest in adopting Fishtopher. On Saturday morning, people were lined up in front of the adoption center, hoping to meet him, according to the shelter’s Facebook post.
“We’re super happy for him, but if you were interested in him, have no fear,” the shelter added. “We have hundreds of other kitties who are just as wonderful and are wishing that people would come and stand in line for them.”
In an update hours later, the shelter shared that seven other cats had also been adopted that day: Batman, Catwoman, DiGiorno, Dingus, Eggplant, Lobster and Olive Oil.
Saturday afternoon, a Twitter user named Laura announced that their boyfriend was the lucky person who adopted Fishtopher, and shared multiple photos and videos of the cat settling in.
“Fishtopher is adjusting amazingly, he’s still pretty shy, which makes sense,” Laura told HuffPost via Twitter DM. “He really enjoys lying around on our futon and being pet.”
Laura added that Fishtopher has feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), similar to HIV in humans, though FIV cannot be transmitted to people. They want Fishtopher’s fans to know that having FIV is “not a death sentence” and that cats with the virus “need just as much love as other cats.”
For those who want to keep up with Fishtopher’s adventures, he now has his own Instagram account, @mister.fishtopher.